Inside The Cloak
by Pendragon.P a s s i o n
Summary: Halt's thoughts and motivations on protecting Will. Mentions of Daniel and Will's mum. Contains super minor spoilers for all books up to Halt's Peril. RRR.


**What can I say about this. Plot bunnies can strike at the strangest time, like when youre watching the Merlin season 3 trailer for the hundredth time in a day wondering how on earth Arthur was managed to be half turned into a donkey and thinking that if I was Gwen I wouldn't be patting him like that *well maybe I would but still!*...so yes. Don't ask me where it came from. Was only meant to be a short 200 or so word drabble but escalated a bit, still a drabble though. Some of the facts with the whole Daniel VS wargals thing may not be quite right but its 2:25 in the morning and I couldn't be bothered all the way down the hall to my room and getting the first book and then walking all the way back to the table here and you get my meaning.**

**Basically just Halt's thoughts and motivations of protecting dearest Willers...does not really have any point at all and barely makes sense and is frankly really shit. But anyways...As ever please do try to**

**ENJOY!..**

**Inside The Cloak**

It was Halt's job as a King's Ranger to protect the people of Araluen; he had sworn to it, his Oakleaf was a visual representation of the oath he took. It laid on is heart, for many years and would for more to come. That was part of what made Halt the best, his love and passion for his job. He knew when he took his Oath that he would see men die, but he had no idea that one of those men would change his life forever.

There was always mess after a battle, and it happened that the larger the battle – the harder the mess was to clean up. Hackham Heath was one of the largest battles Halt had ever seen so it was fitting that the aftermath was frankly sickening. Small skirmishes still were happing everywhere days after it was finished, which meant even though the battle was over and Araluen had virtually won, good men were still being killed. It was something Halt felt strongly about. In battle there were deaths, he could come to terms with that, he had to. But if it was days after a battle and innocent men and women and children were being killed then Halt had to make sure that those who were still killing were brought to justice. It was just wrong. And so he searched out every damn wargal and followed every airy whisper and hunted down every last wargal and follower of Morgarath he could find. As he killed more wargals he reports began to die down and eventually they stopped. He knew that there were still lots out there and needed to be dealt with but if there were no reports on them then nothing could really be done. His last encounter had been a total accident, he was literally just taking Abelard out for a ride when he heard some noise and thought it best to go see what was going on.

He picked his way through the trees and was soon presented with a small clearing. A small clearing with wargals and a man. Instantly Halt kicked into gear and took out a few wargals. But it all became a little too much and as Halt was ready to accept death he watched in amazement as the man, who he had forgotten about, injured and bloody, fought the wargals one by one taking them down.

Saving his life.

As soon as it was done Halt was by the man's side, catching him as he fell. He quickly checked his wounds and sighed. There was nothing that could be done, Halt knew it and so did the man.

Halt thanked the man and asked his name as he took his hand, trying to offer some sort of comfort.

"Daniel," he had answered.

He had died relatively quickly, though not painless. Daniel choked on his own blood as he told Halt of his pregnant wife and asked him to see that she, and the unborn child, would be safe. Halt agreed instantly, "Anything to repay you, my friend.".

He died very shortly after.

Halt did what was necessary then went to his wife. The Ranger suspected that it was not just the birth that killed her. Halt hated telling people that a loved one was dead but it was the first time that Halt could actually see something break inside when he spoke his words. The childbirth was hard, as hard as any other but she had simply lost the will to live. And Halt knew afterwards that the child, Will, with parents who loved each other as much as that, he would have had a great and happy upbringing, so Halt swore, as he held the baby and looked into his curious eyes that he would make sure he was safe and happy.

Halt watched the boy grow up over the years. Watched silently from the shadows, always making sure he was safe. He used to go down into town just to see Will, and on occasions, when townspeople would look at him and his Ward friends like they didn't belong he wondered if he'd done the right thing by placing him in the Ward. But then he would say something and watch as his friends smiled and Halt knew he had done right by him.

There was always a part of Halt that wanted the boy to grow up, find a wife, have a family and die old. But when Halt watched him and saw the way he looked at people and the way he tried to figure hard things out and climb a tree with nothing other than talent, he knew that Will was special and would one day do great things.

After years of watching the boy Halt came to a decision and knew he needed to ask the boy a question. And the day after the Choosing Day, Will answered his question with an uncertain 'yes'.

Halt was already fond of the boy and so it didn't take long to love him, like a son. Will became his world, though he never let him know it, and he knew he would die for him in an instant.

Every time Will came close to danger Halt's heart nearly stopped. In a way Halt loved him more than a father could ever love a son. It was like an ingrained instinct, to protect Will, look after Will, watch over Will. Make sure he stayed safe. There was always a nagging in the back of his mind that if anything happened to that boy then he didn't just let him down or himself down, but Daniel.

One of the bravest men he ever knew, and didn't know for long enough. Halt had sworn, and Halt simply never broke his word, never went back on an Oath. Except that one time – but it was ok, because it was to save Will, and everyone knew it.

Every bad thing that ever happened to Will, Halt was determined to make right. The boar hunt, being taken as a slave, becoming addicted to warmweed, being on his own in the desert, the disasters at Macindaw..._every single thing_ that put Will through pain Halt was motivated by the promise he gave to the boy's father and mother. Even when Halt was about to die in Picta, he was determined to make it as easy and painless as possible for Will.

It was more than just wanting to keep him safe, it was an obsession and a way of life, and Halt honestly couldn't remember what it was like before Will had come into his life; and he didn't want to.

Will was the single most important thing that had happened ever happened to him. If there was some way that Halt could have known, all those years ago that deciding to investigate a noise would result in what it had, Halt would have still done the same thing.

Halt loved Will for all e was worth and more. He would take the questions and the trouble and pain and worry and grey hairs and everything 'negative' that came with Will, if only to see him smile once.

Just once.

End.

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**as I said. I think its quite bad and it has no plot or point and its not even a good drabble. but please review and do tell what you think. updates for other fics are on the way though there will probably be a delay as my teachers all decided it would be fun as to give me assessment tasks all at the same time... :/ **

**luv u all..**

**passion.**


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